Trimble Westminster Expansion

Project Guide

Building Two is currently underway at Trimble’s Westminster Campus. Trimble solutions will be used throughout the project by general contractor, JE Dunn and a broad range of trade partners — all playing a key role in the planning, design, construction and ongoing operation of the facility.

With access to models via Trimble Connect and integrations between products, all key stakeholders have real time access to project data and the latest plans and designs. Trimble and our construction partners stay coordinated throughout the project to ensure tight alignment.

Project Stages:

PLANNING & FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

Should we buy, lease or build? Trimble solutions are used to develop initial projections of a new build. A thorough understanding of the ongoing operation of existing building assets provides a good benchmark to understand the long-term implications of increasing capacity.

To initiate any construction project, precise data collection and documentation of all property boundaries, setbacks and utilities are required by local government planners. The city will also be watchful for any potential impacts on wetlands and other sensitive conditions. The team at Flatirons Survey deliver comprehensive digital documentation of boundaries, infrastructure and topography to be shared easily with the city and the other stakeholders on the project.

Initial conceptual designs are developed collaboratively between architect, Oz Architecture and our team. At this stage, a flexible design solution is key to encourage exploration and iteration as a team. Designing in 3D right from the start helps everyone on the team to easily visualize how various design approaches or details might impact the end result. We then take visualization a step further with augmented reality to view the concept in full scale and in situ to understand how the new and existing structures will work together.

Cost is a big consideration throughout the concepting process. Utilizing cost history of past projects, we can quickly project cost estimates of various design iterations.

Where the concept stage helps define what to build, design and engineering defines how to build it. In addition to the architectural team, engineering teams specialized in concrete, steel, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems all deliver detailed and coordinated BIM models to meet the requirements of the project. The ultimate goal is a construction-ready model, where the entire structure — all the way down to the rebar footings — is constructed virtually before actual construction begins. This eliminates the potential for errors that cause costly physical rework.

Typically considered a pre-construction task, cost estimating is actually conducted throughout the project and by different teams. A working budget will include costs estimates from all of the trade partners as part of the bidding process. But after all bids are awarded, design iteration continues. In some cases, change orders are required to address new requirements or correct items that were not addressed in the original set of plans. Even the simplest of change orders can cascade into a series of adjustments required in structural, mechanical, electrical, etc. And each trade maintains their own cost estimates to manage their own P&L.

While Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers developed the civil and structural engineering plans, Fiori & Sons manages the Earthwork with models developed to guide the heavy equipment. The machines themselves assist by tracking progress in reaching the desired grade with as little rework as possible.

The project management team at JE Dunn orchestrates potentially hundreds of contributors, both in the field and in the office, to keep the project progressing predictably and on schedule. Project management requires more than just ensuring the right labor, equipment and materials are where they need to be and when they need to be there. Contractors also validate that the extended team is providing quality deliverables and then paid when the work is complete.

The least predictable element on any busy worksite is the people. To manage site crews and mitigate safety issues, workers on the site carry RFID tags so the General Contractor can monitor and control access. If specialized skills are needed for welding or other hazardous activities, the same system can ensure the workers have all of the required certifications.

By utilizing precise positioning technologies for systems such as anchor bolts, interior walls and mechanical systems, field crews not only improve the quality of the work but also the productivity. Better precision drives better quality and fewer human-induced errors. A reverse workflow is used for QA/QC where the contractor validates the placement of all critical components.

Fabrication of building elements is conducted both onsite and offsite by various trade partners on the project. Off site fabrication is a growing interest to reduce the time required on site for custom fabrication.

At the end of the project, the final building is ready to be fully operational and managed for optimal utilization. For the life of the building, Trimble solutions promote full utilization of the facility, support future retrofit/refurbishment projects and drive resource optimization.

Mixed Reality also plays a role in the ongoing management of built assets. The as-built conditions of Building Two will be scanned and modeled. Assets behind walls, above ceilings and below floors will be visible with augmented reality software and a 3D visualization headset for maintenance and repairs. Trimble will also act as lessor for the first years of the building’s operation. With structural models available, Mixed Reality actually becomes a part of the Leasing Sales Kit, where potential lessees can walk through the space before it is complete.

Project News

Hard to believe it's been just over a year since starting this project. Today, the building is nearly ready for the first wave of employees to move in. In the spirit of Construction Appreciation Week, we decided to surprise the crew with some breakfast treats...

Getting prepared Ready Mix to a worksite is a lot trickier than it sounds. Unexpected traffic conditions can slow delivery and surprises on site can slow the demand for material. An error on either side can result in a load of product wasted and a potential for huge...

We thought it would be fun to capture the reaction of the mechanical team experiencing mixed reality for the first time. Not a set-up or paid actors, this is what happens when people see the results of their own future efforts. https://youtu.be/tAmImhdWYjA

The team is putting mixed reality to use on site to better understand progress of the project. Two recent innovations are making it easy for a range of users to access mixed reality. First is Trimble's hardhat solution for Microsoft Hololens. Second is Trimble Connect...

Safety is central to daily operation of JE Dunn's team. In this video, Matt Ogle, Safety Manager explains how Trimble CrewSight is helping to manage the project and work crews, as well as ensure rapid response when there is an incident that needs fast attention.

Encore Electric was on site using the Trimble RTS873 total station and Trimble Field Link to quickly layout and mark locations for underground electric service. Sometimes called "stub-ups", these locations are where the conduit pipe comes up through the ground or...

On big construction projects, it's tradition to commemorate the placement of the final beam in a Topping-Out ceremony. We're not about to break this tradition because it's associated with good luck! Over 100 members of the extended team got together to recognize the...

A large building project calls for a meastro's touch in orchestration of labor, equipment and materials. To manage the workforce component JE Dunn employs Trimble CrewSight, an automated jobsite-management system designed to improve visibility into labor costs on...

The steel work started on the site just 5 hours ago. In other words, when we came to work today, there was no steel in place. Now, thanks to a precise structural model and offsite fabrication, the team is moving fast. To get a project moving this fast, it requires...

Thanks to Oz Architecture for a beautiful new set of renderings of the space between Buildings One and Two. Plenty of outdoor space for relaxation and collaboration. A covered "Connector" between the buildings and multi-use Pavilion area aims to keep the whole team...